Past Lives

As I came to, I felt Trevor dragging me towards the living room. I started to struggle with him and he kicked me. "Knock it off, Princess. You had your chance to come willingly." I could only imagine the sick, twisted smile that was on his face. "Now I get my fun."

He was pulling at my shirt, trying to hold me and rip it at the same time. I felt the seam trying to give way and the tears started to fall down my face. He held my jaw in a way that kept me from screaming or even biting him. I had never felt so helpless. I knew he was going to try to rape me. I thought of all the knives in the kitchen. The old skates in the closet. He was probably going to kill me afterwards. I wouldn't put it past him.

Ads. Oh my, God, what had he done to Ads? What if she was lying in the basement in a pool of blood? What if she was hurt or dead? Suddenly all I could think of was my friend. If Ads was dead, it was entirely my fault. They should have left me at my own house where I was the only one who could get hurt.

Then I thought of Brooks. What would he do when he came home and saw the love of his life like that? My mind was made up that she was lying in the basement either unconscious or dead. I couldn't get the imaginary image out of my head. Brooks would never forgive himself for going to work. It wasn't his fault. It was mine. I put them in danger by being here.

And Craig...I hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye. He was the one guy I could ever say I was close to falling in love with. Hell, for all I knew, I already was.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as the sleeve of my shirt gave way and fell off my arm. He kissed my shoulder and I tried to kick him, hit him, anything. "That's enough, bitch." He held my head firmly and kissed my neck. He knew I would have head-butted him. "I swear to God, this is going to be amazing...too bad you won't get to tell anyone about it."

Oh, God, he really was going to kill me. My screams were muffled against his hand. The tears were like Niagara Falls now. In my head, I just started apologizing.

Ads...oh, Ads, I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry for those nights you couldn't sleep because the flavor of the week was there. I'm sorry for the grief I caused with all those guys. I'm sorry for the fiasco that was Max and Brooks. I'm so, so, sorry for everything. You've been a better friend than I have ever deserved. I love you, Ads. You're my sister.

Now Trevor's free hand roamed across my chest. I tried to pull away from him, but I couldn't. I moved on to apologizing to Brooks. Brooks, I'm sorry for breaking your nose. I'm sorry for being a bitch. I'm sorry for every terrible thing I've ever said to you or about you. You've done so much for me and I don't deserve any of it. You introduced me to Craig. You put yourself in danger by letting me stay here...now your girlfriend may be dead and it's all my fault. I'm so, so sorry, Brooks. Please, please forgive me.

I thought I heard something creak behind us, but I ignored it. Instead, I moved on to Rob. What can I even say, Rob? I've hurt you in so many ways and I can never make up for that.

"For someone who used to be such a tease," I heard him whisper, "not to mention a little whore, you sure aren't putting out today. What's wrong? Scared?" I wished he would stop playing with me and just end it. I was sick of the games. I wanted it to end. "You should be."

CRAIG! I screamed in my head. Craig, you'll never know this, but I'm falling in love with you. You're the only guy I've ever-

Trevor went limp and I fell to the ground on top of him. Before I could fully stand up, I was trampled by Ads throwing her arms around me. I started bawling. She held me tight and I didn't let go of her. I was free of Trevor. I could feel bruises forming on my arms. I felt the sting of a bite mark on my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed him doing it.

“SShhhh, Jamie. It will be okay. I need your help containing him til the guys come okay? Can you do that?” Ads was trying to calm me down. I tried, but I couldn't stop crying. Instead, I kicked him as hard as I could in the stomach.

I shrugged through my tears, trying to appear tough. "For g-good measure," I choked out.

Still crying, I looked for duct tape. As I pulled some from the closet, Ads and I dragged Trevor to a chair in the kitchen and duct taped his hands. I started towards him to sucker-punch him, but Ads held me back. "The guys are almost here."

I looked at her and choked out, "Craig?" Tears sprung back to my eyes as I realized that I would get to see him again.

Ads nodded. "Craig's almost here."

--

A few minutes later, the door burst open and Craig and Brooks rushed in. Brooks went straight for Ads while Craig scooped me up in his arms.

"Baby, if I would have known-"

I shook my head against his chest. "There was no way you could have." Craig set me down and looked at me. "What did that monster do to you?" The sleeve of my shirt was still on the floor, my hair was a bird's nest, and the bruises were already turning purple.

"H-he tried to rape me, Craig." Tears sprung up again. "He was going to kill me."

He turned to look at Trevor as the bastard started to move. “I called the cops. Ads, why don’t you take Jamie upstairs so she can relax before they get here?” Craig said. I could tell he had plans for him.

Ads nodded. As we started up the stairs, I heard Craig yell, "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Before Trevor's yelling started. If he was doing to Trevor half of what he did to guys on the ice, Trevor didn't stand a chance.

“So you wanna hear something interesting?”

I sighed. I didn't know if I could handle interesting. Giving a small nod, I replied, “Anything would be better than worrying about what’s going on downstairs.”

She gave me a small smile. “Well I was cleaning out the basement so I can convince Brooks to finally remodel it, and I found a box of stuff from BC. He had pictures of us I have never seen nor did I know that they were taken.”

I looked at her, interested. “Really? What else was in the box?”

She told me about all the stuff Brooks had kept over the years. It wasn't long when we heard a knock on the bedroom door. I looked up to see Brooks peering in, clearly trying not to run back downstairs and kill Trevor.

“Um, the cops are here, they want to talk to Jamie.”

I took a deep breath and stood up slowly. I wanted to get this over with. I didn't want to have to worry about it anymore. Leaving the room, I walked slowly down the stairs and into the living room where two men in blue uniforms sat talking to Craig. They looked up as I entered the room.

"You're Jamie?" A tall, thin man was looking at me with a clipboard.

I nodded, "Yes."

"We need to ask you some questions," the other, slightly older, office said.

Sitting on the couch, I watched as they looked at Craig. "You're free to go."

He looked at me. "Can I please stay with her?"

"We need to talk to her."

"Please," Craig pleaded.

"I'm sorry."

Craig gave me a look of, "As soon as you're done..." And walked outside. As soon as the door was closed, the first office looked at me.

"Miss, how do you know Trevor?"

I took a deep breath and told them the entire story. I told them about meeting him at a party and then dating him. How we became a couple and he changed into a scary, abusive person. His obsession with me and his threats. I had never even told Ads about his threats to rape me if I didn't start sleeping with him again. I had hinted it to Craig, but had never come right out and said, "He told me he'd rape me or worse."

I told them about the Emergency Protective Order and how I had left Boston. I told them about renewing it for three years. I told them how stupid I was to not renew it again. I told them that Logan had told Trevor I was in Pittsburgh and how he had shown up at Excuses after Ads' party. Then I told them about Trevor stalking me and sitting outside the house. I pulled his note out of my pocket. I had kept it folded there ever since it had broken my "giant leafy thing" as Craig called it. They took it for evidence.

Then I told them about coming to stay with Brooks and Ads. I said that Craig and Brooks had gone to practice and Ads was in the basement. I heard a crash and went downstairs before he grabbed me and I blacked out. I told them about he tried to rape me before threatening to kill me. I showed them the bruises and the bite mark. My sleeve was still lying on the floor. They took it as well.

I finished the story with Ads saving my life and Brooks and Craig showing up.

"Miss, you're extremely lucky your friends decided to get you out of your house," the older officer said. "Had you been home alone, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation."

I nodded my agreement. Calling Brooks and Ads was the best thing Craig could have ever done.

They called for Ads next and I went outside with Craig. As soon as the door closed, he stood up and pulled me into his chest. "Jamie, I have never been so scared," he said into my hair. "I was convinced that we would get back here and you'd be dead." I looked up to see tears falling down his face. "I didn't want to lose you."

I just buried my face in his chest. I couldn't tell him that I was falling in love with him. Not yet. Instead, I let him hold me and cried some more. But there was one thing I knew for certain:

I had finally found somewhere I found safe and I never wanted to lose him.